NAME
Config::Any - Load configuration from different file formats,
transparently
SYNOPSIS
use Config::Any;
my $cfg = Config::Any->load_stems({stems => \@filepath_stems, ... });
# or
my $cfg = Config::Any->load_files({files => \@filepaths, ... });
for (@$cfg) {
my ($filename, $config) = %$_;
$class->config($config);
warn "loaded config from file: $filename";
}
DESCRIPTION
Config::Any provides a facility for Perl applications and libraries to
load configuration data from multiple different file formats. It
supports XML, YAML, JSON, Apache-style configuration, Windows INI files,
and even Perl code.
The rationale for this module is as follows: Perl programs are deployed
on many different platforms and integrated with many different systems.
Systems administrators and end users may prefer different configuration
formats than the developers. The flexibility inherent in a multiple
format configuration loader allows different users to make different
choices, without generating extra work for the developers. As a
developer you only need to learn a single interface to be able to use
the power of different configuration formats.
INTERFACE
load_files( \%args )
Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files } );
Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, filter => \&filter } );
Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, use_ext => 1 } );
Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );
"load_files()" attempts to load configuration from the list of files
passed in the "files" parameter, if the file exists.
If the "filter" parameter is set, it is used as a callback to modify the
configuration data before it is returned. It will be passed a single
hash-reference parameter which it should modify in-place.
If the "use_ext" parameter is defined, the loader will attempt to parse
the file extension from each filename and will skip the file unless it
matches a standard extension for the loading plugins. Only plugins whose
standard extensions match the file extension will be used. For
efficiency reasons, its use is encouraged, but be aware that you will
lose flexibility -- for example, a file called "myapp.cfg" containing
YAML data will not be offered to the YAML plugin, whereas "myapp.yml" or
"myapp.yaml" would be.
When the "flatten_to_hash" parameter is defined, the loader will return
a hash keyed on the file names, as opposed to the usual list of
single-key hashes.
"load_files()" also supports a 'force_plugins' parameter, whose value
should be an arrayref of plugin names like "Config::Any::INI". Its
intended use is to allow the use of a non-standard file extension while
forcing it to be offered to a particular parser. It is not compatible
with 'use_ext'.
You can supply a "driver_args" hashref to pass special options to a
particular parser object. Example:
Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, driver_args => {
General => { -LowerCaseNames => 1 }
} )
load_stems( \%args )
Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems } );
Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, filter => \&filter } );
Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, use_ext => 1 } );
Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );
"load_stems()" attempts to load configuration from a list of files which
it generates by combining the filename stems list passed in the "stems"
parameter with the potential filename extensions from each loader, which
you can check with the "extensions()" classmethod described below. Once
this list of possible filenames is built it is treated exactly as in
"load_files()" above, as which it takes the same parameters. Please read
the "load_files()" documentation before using this method.
finder( )
The "finder()" classmethod returns the Module::Pluggable::Object object
which is used to load the plugins. See the documentation for that module
for more information.
plugins( )
The "plugins()" classmethod returns the names of configuration loading
plugins as found by Module::Pluggable::Object.
extensions( )
The "extensions()" classmethod returns the possible file extensions
which can be loaded by "load_stems()" and "load_files()". This may be
useful if you set the "use_ext" parameter to those methods.
DIAGNOSTICS
"No files specified!" or "No stems specified!"
The "load_files()" and "load_stems()" methods will issue this
warning if called with an empty list of files/stems to load.
"_load requires a arrayref of file paths"
This fatal error will be thrown by the internal "_load" method. It
should not occur but is specified here for completeness. If your
code dies with this error, please email a failing test case to the
authors below.
CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT
Config::Any requires no configuration files or environment variables.
DEPENDENCIES
Module::Pluggable
And at least one of the following: Config::General Config::Tiny JSON
YAML JSON::Syck YAML::Syck XML::Simple
INCOMPATIBILITIES
None reported.
BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
No bugs have been reported.
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
"bug-config-any@rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at
.
AUTHOR
Joel Bernstein
CONTRIBUTORS
This module was based on the original Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader
module by Brian Cassidy "".
With ideas and support from Matt S Trout "".
Further enhancements suggested by Evan Kaufman "".
LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 2006, Portugal Telecom "http://www.sapo.pt/". All rights
reserved. Portions copyright 2007, Joel Bernstein "".
This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the same terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN
OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH
YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL
NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.
IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE
TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING
RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A
FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF
SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.
SEE ALSO
Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader -- now a wrapper around this module.